Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-07-21

"What ghost?" asked younger man,
with an incredulous laugh. 81 never
heard of a ghost at Waterdell."
"No, you mayn't," said the first man;
''but I've heard it from my father, times
upon times, that before Squire Dacre
come here there were power of queer
things seen and heard at Waterdell, and
they say that since he's dead, they be
come back"
"They say; who says?" asked thin,
weasel-facod farmer.
sWell, my man Marvel, for one; he went
across by the spinneY last night, where he
has been almost every evening this thirty
wear, and he swears that he saw some one
walking up and down the long path and
heard some awful noises"
"Ah," said the thin man, with grunt,
"Marvel always were liar
"L1ar or no liar" said the farmer,
rather engrilY, 'my father saw the ghost
himself sixty years ago; often and often
he has told me of it, and [ believe tie old
squire knew of it, too; for he never
laughed or scoffed as some folks do with
a significant sniff when folks talked of
ghosts"
And SO the talk shifted on to other mat
plate another element of absurdity intro
duced into his well-arranged, common
place existence, and felt quite angry at
the thought that he, of all men, should by
the irony OF fate, be brought into ghost
story. But as he never had believed in
ghosts he did not mean to begin ROW;
and after inqu1ring his way to Waterdell
Hall, he found that he must start at
he xryicba5 to
night-fall. 1t vas a somewhat dull walk,
which led him at last along a narrow
road ending in an abrupt descent. The
high hedges on either side had lost their
Summer beauty without yet gaining the
glory of Autumn; the few roseberries
were sfckly looking and frosted with a
whitish blight, and their leaves hung
shivering on the twigs, while in the fields
beyond the evening mists were already
rising. The road turned sharply to the
right, and then Water2eu Hall lay before
it's future owner
To cheerful eye itmight heve seemed
nesting in a boWery of greeRery; but
Jenifer, out of tune with things in general
and tired with his walk, saw IL it's with
drewal from the high road guilty seclu-
sion from observation. Four tell Yelling
tonians rose dark aad solemn above the
little wicket gate and cast gloom over
the garden patch, in which some late
.geraniums and petunias only served by
their touches of brilliant color to accen-
,tuate the general melancholy. The house
instead of boldly locking forth on the
passeT-by, turned its face away from the
road and has ne prospect but the little
bit of garden and the fozr sentinel
| trees.
| The doors stood open and AR. Jenifer
/ entered narrow passage where no wei
coming footsteps came to meet his own;
only Virginia creeper, torn by the wind.
I tapped on the porch otherwise all was
still. Mr.. Jenifer looked around him for
a moment, and then went through the
house to the chief sitting-rooD. 1t was
| neither large nor high, but it had that
| individual charm which only age and
years of occupation can give. The old
fashined mattel reached, with it's dark, rich
carvings to the ceiling, across which was
massive oaken beam, nearly black with
age, the fireplace with it's glaring logs
| gave out cheerful glimmer, reflected in
| the small Quarries of the window oppo-
| site, over which hung a carved scroll,
whose insert ptiGn there was not light
enough to read. Mr.. Jenifer .b-eathed a
| sig OI ESAL6I do Uh6 COuiOFbrD appear
ance here in contrast to the depressing
aspect of the rest of the house; but in
| stead of settling himself by the fire, he
again went to look over the surrounding
property. Behind, the ground rose alb
ruptly and was bounded by closely
growing coppice, through which narrow
path seemed to strike toward the village.
| The parson climbed the hill, leaving the
Ioft -fnr &Io
highest portion of the meadow looked
across the low hedge at the Last pageant
of the su nset. Some elm trees were sill
| houetted against the sky, athwart which
lay bars of rosy flame, tender evanescent.
One moment the dying light leaped up
brighter, and throbbed through all the
burning heaven, and then it died away,
and the day was not.
Jenifer turned and looked as the hall.
Already it seemed to be losing itself in
the darkness which gathered round it,
hiding in the recesses of the gables. draw
ing curtains of mist over the twisted
chimneys. The silence, entire and abso-
lutte, struck almost with oppression
on the mind of this man accustomed to
city noises; but even as he thought to
himself, ''How still it all is.1' there sound
ed liz the coppice close by him a long,
sobbing cry, which rose and fell, and rose
again, and then ceased.
Clement Jenifer was not a particularly
tender hearted or compassionate man, but
that sudden cry filled him with vague
fear of some cruel deed just perpetrated
some awful mystery TO be brought to
light, and after moments hesitation he
turned in the direction of whence it had
seemed to come, and found himself on a
long path with thick yew hedge on
either side. Far ahead, in the dam twi-
light, he could descry figure walking
slowly away from him; he could hear
moaning sound as of some one in pain
Mr.. Jenifer fastened his pace in order to
come up with the sufferer, and as he gain
ed on him and cOald see him more dis
tinctly, it seemed TO him that there was
something familiar in the gait and bear
ing of the unknown. And as he so
thought the figure turned, and facing
him, advanced with slow, uncertain foot
steps, wringing his hands as he came.
What was it that struck Mr.. Jeniter as SO
well known TO him? " hat was it that
filled him with sudden horror and sent
the blood back to his heart? All the tales
n GHOSTS oD5 hauntjnp noises Of which